Tomorrow
by Stephane Richer
Summary: ::AU somewhat:: I'm not ready, maybe tomorrow.


Tomorrow

Disclaimer: I don't own Avril Lavigne's "Tomorrow" or Tite Kubo's _Bleach_.

Author's Note: This is the prequel to "Diet Mountain Dew" and "Slipped Away".

* * *

"She's getting better. She's smiled a couple of times, real smiles. You've really helped; thank you."

Rukia took a sip of tea and offered a weak smile of her own. "That's good. I'm glad."

Kisuke cocked an eyebrow, or at least seemingly did so (it was hard to tell sometimes when that hat left half of his face in shadow). "You, on the other hand...how are you holding up?"

He'd seen right through her fake smiles, too. "I'm getting there, I think. Some days are better than others, but my work keeps my busy."

"But Ukitake's not letting you work yourself too hard."

She nodded. "I tried to lose myself in it, but he put his foot down."

"Smart man."

Since her brother had died at the hands of the Vandenreich, Rukia hadn't really known what to do. Of course, there had been a war to fight and she had done her part, but she still had felt disconnected. Yoruichi, who had failed to reconcile fully with her former mentee, had also been dealt quite a blow. Rukia had invited her to speak at the funeral and given the cat-woman many of Byakuya's papers and journals. Reading through them had been an immense help for Yoruichi, and it helped her feel like she was reconnected with Byakuya, and to slowly begin the process of moving on.

Kisuke and Tessai had been grateful for Rukia's help, and Kisuke in particular has grown quite fond of her. He had been using any excuse he can think of to invite her over for tea. Rukia greatly enjoyed his company, and could find the time to spare more often than one would think given her busy schedule and position as lieutenant.

"So, Kisuke, any particular reason to invite me over, other than to remark on Yoruichi-san's progress?" Her sly grin was real this time.

"I wanted to see you," he said frankly, reaching out to clasp his hand in hers.

She blushed but did not withdraw her hand. They stared at one another for a few seconds. Then, (who initiated? Were their thoughts just in sync?) they both leaned in and shared a deep kiss. Kisuke's other hand moved to caress Rukia's face.

And then, the door burst open and Rukia, blushing even harder, broke the kiss.

"I brought some more tea!" Tessai said cheerfully, placing a steaming pot on the table, and then leaving again.

Rukia looked down at her lap.

Kisuke tilted his hat upward. "We can continue if you'd like."

* * *

It was two weeks before she came back to the world of the living. Confused about her emotions, Rukia avoided everyone and went straight home from work every day. She tossed and turned in bed at night, and her uncertainty grew with every passing day that Kisuke didn't contact her. Finally, Ukitake gave her the day off to "straighten out whatever needed straightening" (somehow he always had an idea of what was up) and headed to Karakura Town.

She was greeted at the shop by Jinta, who told her that his boss was out but she could stick around if she wanted to. So Rukia browsed the shop for 45 minutes, until finally he did return.

"Hey," he said, smiling warmly.

"Hey." She smiled back.

Jinta cleared his throat. "I'll just, uh...be in the back room." This went completely unnoticed.

"Why didn't you contact me?" she demanded.

"I didn't want to chase you so hard you'd run away. I thought you might want some space."

Well, yeah, he was kind of right. She'd thought everything through more than a dozen times, which was probably for the better. So she nodded and stepped toward him. He closed the gap and kissed her softly, then pulled away.

"Is this what you want?" His eyes seemed to pierce right through her gigai, as if he was just viewing her soul.

She nodded and kissed him forcefully. He pressed his body against hers and damn, it felt so right. They made out furiously, and she knocked his hat off. He just left it sitting on the floor as they moved out of the shop room and into the house. Rukia had no idea where they were going, and she kind of didn't care. She ran her fingers through his messy hair, catching them in the tangles but carefully not ripping it out, massaging his scalp. Kisuke let out a hum of pleasure. His hands, which had lingered on her jawline, moved downward to her shirt. He began to caress her breasts through the fabric, making RUkia shiver.

They finally got into the bedroom, and fell awkwardly onto the bed. She kicked off her shoes and her fingers migrated slowly along his face and neck, down to his belt, which she began to loosen. He was fiddling with the buttons on her shirt and she sighed impatiently. Grasping her meaning, he ripped the shirt open, sending buttons flying. He began to explore her newly-exposed abdominal skin, and she met her lips with his once again.

He was grinding against her, and she could feel him getting hard. She returned her slackened fingers to work on his belt once again. Sensing she was having trouble with the knot, his hands joined hers. The knot loosened and came undone, and his belt fell to the floor. She moved her hands under his kimono and onto his bare stomach.

* * *

"Kisuke?"

"Hm?"

"I wanted to see you, too."

He pulled her closer against him. "I could tell."

* * *

She really felt almost back to normal now. The disruption and sadness had been somewhat offset by this new giddy disruption of the past few months. Was this all just part of a scheme to make her feel better?

Reading her questioning glance correctly, Kisuke shook his head. "I just enjoy being with you, although it's always nice to see a real smile on your face. And feeling better's all just part of the process."

They had told her she would be truly happy again, though she hadn't believed it at the time. Yet it was happening. She'd never stop missing her brother, but life went on. She leaned against his shoulder, satisfied.


End file.
